How To Catch An Escaped Akita

One day a nice couple come by to take a look at my facility. We were by the front door talking when all of a sudden an Akita walked by us. I knew the Akita because he was boarding in my kennel at the time.

The couple looked at me, I looked at the Akita and calmly said, “Excuse me,” and took off the dog.

I found out later that the Akita had scaled the fence. He then took his front paws and started pushing at the air conditioner that was in the window. He kept pushing until the air conditioner fell to the ground and then jumped through the window.

Your first reaction when you see a loose dog is to run after him which is exactly what I did. That was a mistake because dogs love to be chased. Once my dog training brain kicked in, I knew what to do.

Instead of chasing the dog I got his attention and ran away from him. This is important to remember when you are dealing with a loose dog. Don’t run towards him, try to get his attention and run away.

Movement attracts dogs and you can use that to teach your dog to come when called. Luckily I was able to get the Akita safely back in the kennel. I never saw the nice couple again and I don’t blame them.

Anyway, back to getting your dog to come to you when call. Here are some tips:

Always start by setting your dog up to be successful.

Reward your dog for coming to you.

Never punish for coming when called – be careful of unintentional punishment.

Practice with a long line to make sure your dog follows through.

Use movement to teach your dog to come when called.

Let your dog develop a sense of freedom so recalls are fun and reliable.